The singing Belgian teacher

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 242, 10 May 1988, Page 16

The singing Belgian teacher

Fromfront page sixth eldest in a family of eight. After leaving school, he gained four teaching degrees in Belgium - a degree in primary schooling, two degrees in secondary schooling in French and Dutch languages, and a psychology degree. He speaks five languages - Flemish, Dutch, German, English and French, which is his first language. However, teaching is not his first love. He sees himself as a performer. He travelled for over a year with a singing and dancing group named "Up with People", which gained a wide following in both the United States and Canada. One member of the group has chore-

ographed for Michael Jackson and Lionel Ritchie, which shows their professional standard. It was while he was in Ireland on a world tour with this group that he met two Swiss people who live in Ohakune, and they invited him to visit them here. He came for a few months late last year and enjoyed it so much he decided to stay on. When a vacancy came up at Ohakune Primary School, he went for the job. He now teaches 11 to 13-year-olds at the school. Jan has his own theatre group in Belgium called the "Bolleboos" who provide theatre for childreji. They sing, dance and act.

A television show has been arranged for him to write and direct when he eventually returns to Belgium. Children will act our fairy tales with a message behind them in each show. During 1986 and 1987, Jan worked as a saies representative for an international company, travelling all around Europe. His work and his talent as a performer have taken him all around the world. "I love travelling - touring around the world you get to know all sorts of people from lots of different backgrounds." He loves New Zealand's natural beauty and feels that because the population is small, it is easy for

everyone to enjoy it. "New Zealand is seven times larger than Belgium, but my country has 10 million people living there." Being sensitive and caring for other people is very important to Jan, and he says he is disturbed by the depressed aura that seems to surround many young New Zealanders. "Many seem to have no set goals, and drugs and alcohol form too large an importance in their lives." In Europe, youth have a more of a "let's-go-for-it attitude" and are surrounded by an aura of "boundless energy." He thinks it is often easier for an outsider to objectively observe a country. Although he hates to

draw comparisons between countries he notes that in Europe family support is very strong, whereas New Zealand seems to put a lot of stress on independence. "It is good to have freedom, but it is just as good to be able to go to your family at any time." Jan loves working as a teacher in Ohakune, but he feels his destiny lies in performing in Europe. "I miss my family and my friends, especially my little sister, Greet, and when they ring they always ask, 'When are you coming home?"' Thankfully for Ohakune, that won't be for a while yet.